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•when JESUS WAS A CHILD.' 



IT IS THE CHRlSTxMAS-TIME 



BY MISS MULOCK 



WITH TWELVE IDEAL CHRISTMAS HYMNS AND POEMS 




ILL USTRATED 



I 0€T 2S \%Z^pl 



BOSTON 
D. LOTHROP AND COMPANY 

FRANKLIN AND HAWLEV STREETS 






Copyright by 
D. LoTHKoi- AND Cob 

18S4 



Pres!i of Ber^vu'k ^ Smith, rr^ Purchase Street. 




CONTENTS. 



A Hymn for Christmas Morning .... 

While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night 

Hark ! The Herald Angels Sing 

The Star Song . 

Epiphany 

A Christmas Hymn 

The Angel's Song 

The Angels . 

A Christmas Vision 

The Christmas Carol 

Mary's Song 

The Wild-Fowl's Voice 

A Christmas Carmen. (By permission of Houghton, Mifflin & Co.) 



Miss Mulock. 

A'ahum Tate. 

Charles Wesley. 

Robert Herriek. 

ReginalJ Heher. 

yohn Keble. 

Rev. E. H. Sears. 

William Drnmmond. 

yames Montgomery. 

William Wordsworth. 

George MacDonald. 

Charles Kiitgsley. 

7ohi! G. Whitticr. 





^x 




A HYMN FOR CHRISTMAS MORNING. 

It is the Christmas-time : 
And up and down 'twixt heaven and earth 
In glorious grief and solemn mirth, 

The shining angels climb. 

And unto ever3thing 
That lives and moves, for heaven, on earth. 
With equal share of grief and mirth, 

The shining angels sing : — 

" Babes new-born, imdefiled. 
In lowly hut, or mansion wide — 
Sleep safely through this Christmas-tide 

When Jesus was a child. 



" young men, bold and free, 
In peopled town or desert grim, 
When ye are tempted like to Him, 

' The man Christ Jesus' see. 



A HYMN FOR CHRISTMAS MORNING. 

" Pool- mothers, with your hoard 
Of endless love and countless pam — 
Remember all her grief, her gain, 

The Mother of the Lord. 

" Mourners, half blind with woe, 
Look up ! One standeth in his place, 
And by the pity of his face 

The Man of Sorrows know. 

'• Wanderers in far countrie, 
O think of Him who came, forgot, 
To His own, and they received Him not- 

Jesus of Galilee. 

" all ye who have trod 
The wine-press of afidiction, lay 
Your hearts before His heart this day — 

Behold the Christ of God!" 



• Miss 3Iulock. 





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II I MI 1 !>>> \\AT< HH) THtlH H 0( Ks 1 



WHILE SHEPHERDS WATCHED THEIR FLOCKS BY NIGHT. 

While shepherds watch'd their flocks by night, 

All seated on the ground. 
The angel of the Lord came down, 

And glory shone around. 

"Fear not," said he; (for mighty dread 

Had seized their troubled mind;) 
" Glad tidings of great joy I bring 

To you and all mankind. 

" To you in David's town this da}- 

Is born of David's line 
The Saviour, who is Christ the Lord ; 

And this shall be the sign. 

" The Heavenly Babe you there shall find 

To human view displayed. 
All meanly wrapt in swathing bands, 

And in a manger laid." 



WHILE SHEPHERDS WATCHED TIlKIll FLOCKS BY NIGHT. 

Thus spake the Seraph ; and forthwith 

Appeared a shining throng 
Of angels, praising God, and thus 

Addressed their joyful song. 

" All glory be to God on high, 

And to the earth be peace ; 
Good will henceforth from Heaven to men 

Begin, and never cease ! " 

— Nalnmi Tate. 





AXD TO THE EAIITH BE TEACE.' 



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'HAKK I THK HERALU ANGELS SIN'G. 



HARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SING. 

Hark ! the herald angels sing, 
" Glory to the new-born King : 
Peace on earth, and mercy mild, 
God and sinners reconciled ! " 
Joyful all ye nations, rise, 
Join the triumph of the skies ; 
Universal nature, say, 
Christ the Lord is born to-day ! 

Christ, by highest Heaven adored ; 
Christ, the Everlasting Lord; 
Late in time behold Him come, 
Oii'spring of a Virgin's womb ; 
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, 
Hail, th' Incarnate Deity, 
Pleased as man with men to appear, 
Jesus our Immanuel here ! 



16 BARK! THE llKRAhD ANGELS SINO. 

Hail ! the heavenly Prince of Peace ! 
Hail ! the son of Righteousness ! 
Light and life to all He brings, 
Risen with healing in his wings. 
Mild he lays his glory by. 
Born that man no more may die, 
Born to raise the sons of earth. 
Born to give them second birth. 

Come, Desire of nations, come, 
Fix in us thy humble home. 
Rise, the woman's conquering seed, 
Bruise in us the SerjDent's head. 
Now display thy saving power. 
Ruined nature now restore. 
Now in mystic union join 
Thine to ours, and ours to thine. 

Adam's likeness, Lord, efface ; 
Stamp thy image in its place ; 
Second Adam from above. 
Reinstate us in Thy love. 
Let us Thee, though lost, regain. 
Thee, the Life, the Heavenly Man: 
0, to all Thy self impart. 
Formed in each believing heart ! 

— Chiirks Wesley. 




THE STAR-SONG. 

Tell us, thou clear and heavenly tongue, 
Where is the Babe but lately sprung ? 
Lies he the lily-banks among ? 

Or say, if this new Birth of ours 
Sleeps, laid within some ark of flowers. 
Spangled with dew-light ; thou canst clear 
All doubts, and manifest the where. 

Declare to us, bright star, if we shall seek 
Him in the morning's blushing cheek. 
Or search the beds of spices through. 
To find him out ? 



Star : No, this ye need not do ; 
But only come and see Him rest. 
A princely babe, on 's mother's breast. 

— Robert Ilerrick. 



EPIPHANY. 

Brightest and best of the sons of the morning, 
Dawn on our darkness and lend us thine aid ! 

Star of the east, the horizon adorning, 
Guide where our infant Redeemer is laid ! 

Cold on His cradle the dew-drops are shining. 
Low lies His bed with the beasts of the stall ; 

Angels adore Him in slumber reclining — 
Maker, and monarch, and Saviour of all. 

Say, shall we yield him in costly devotion. 

Odors of Edom, and offerings divine: 
Gems of the mountain and pearls of tlie ocean ; 

Myrrh from the foi-est and gold from the mine ? 

Vainly we offer each ample oblation, 

Vainly with gold would His favor secure ; 

Richer by far is the heart's adoration. 

Dearer to God are the praj'ers of the poor. 

Brightest and best of the sons of the morning. 
Dawn on our darkness and lend us thine aid ! 

Star of the east, the horizon adorning. 
Guide where our infant Redeemer is laid ! 

— Rer/liiald Heber. 




A CHRISTMAS HYMN. 

What sudden Ijlaze of song 

Spreads o'er tlie expanse of Heaven ? 
In waves of light it thrills along, 
Th' angelic signal given : 
Glory to God ! from yonder central fire 
Flows out the echoing lay beyoud the starry choir. 

Like circles widening round 
Upon a clear blue river. 
Orb after orb, the wondrous sound 
Is echoed on forever : 
" Glory to God on high, on earth be peace, 
Aiid love toward men of love, salvation and release ! " 



Yet stay, before thou dare 

To join that festal throng ; 
Listen, and mark what gentle air 
First stirred the tide of song : 
'T is not, " the Saviour born in David's home, 
To whom for power and health obedient worlds should come." 



A CHRISTMAS HYMN. 

'T is not, " the Christ the Lord " : 

With fixed adoring look 
The choir of angels caught the word, 
Nor yet their silence broke : 
But when they heard the sign, where Christ should be, 
In sudden light they shone, and heavenly harmony. 

Wrapped in His swaddling bands, 

And in his manger laid, 
The Hope and Glory of all lands 
Is come to the world's aid : 
No peaceful home upon His cradle smiled ; 
Guests rudely went and came, where slept the royal Child. 

But where Thou dwellest. Lord, 

No other thought should be ; 

Once duly welcomed and adored. 

How should I part witli Thee ? 

Bethlehem must lose Thee soon ; but Thou wilt grace 

The single heart to be Thy sure abiding-place. 

Thee, on the bosom laid 

Of a pure virgin mind, 
In quiet ever and in shade 
Shepherd and sage may find ; 
They, who have bowed untaught to nature's sway, 
And they, who follow Truth along her star-paved way. 

The pastoral spirits first 

Approach Thee, Babe divine ; 









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A CHlilSTMAs HVMy. 

For they in lonely thoughts are nurst. 
Meet for thy lowly .shrine ; 
Sooner than they should miss where Thou dost dwell. 
Angels from Heaven will stoop to guide them to Th}- cell. 

Still as the day comes round 

For Thee to be revealed. 
By wakeful shepherds thou art found. 
Abiding in the field : 
All through the wintry heaven and chill night air 
In music and in light Thou dawnest on their prayer. 




' YOClt WANDERING SHEEP ! " 



faint not ye for fear ! 

What though your wandering sheep, 
Reckless of what they see and hear, 
Lie lost in wilful sleep ? 
High Heaven, in mercy to your sad annoy, 
Still greets you with glad tidings of immortal joy. 



THE Ay GEL s soya. 

Think on the eternal home 
The Saviour left for you ; 
Think on the Lord most holy, come 
To dwell with hearts untrue : 
So shall ye tread untried His pastoral ways, 
And in the darkness sing your carol of high praise. 



-John Keble. 



THE ANGEL'S SONG. 

It came upon the midnight clear, 

That glorious song of old, 
From angels bending near the earth, 

To touch their harps of gold : 
'• Peace on earth, good will to men, 

From Heaven's all-gracious King." 
The world in solemn stillness lay 

To hear the angels siny;. 



Still thro' the cloven skies they come. 
With peaceful wings unfurled ; 

And still their heavenly music floats 
O'er all the weary world : 




*'AM> YE, ItKNEATH LIFE'S CRUSHING LOAD, 



THE ANGEL'S SONG. 



Above its sad and lowly plains 
They bend on hovering wing, 

And ever o'er its Babel sounds 
Tlie blessed angels sincr. 



But with the woes of sin and strife 

The world has suffered long ; 
Beneath the angel-strain have rolled 

Two thousand yeai's of wrong ; 
And man, at war with man, hears not 

The love-song which they bring : 
liush the noise, ye men of strife, 

And hear the angels sins. 



And ye, beneath life's crushing load 

Whose forms are bending low. 
Who toil along the climbing way, 

With painful steps and slow — 
Look now ; for glad and golden hours 

Come swifth on the wing : 
rest beside the wearj' road, 

And hear the angels sing. 



For lo, the days are hastening on 
By prophet bards foretold. 

When with the ever circling years 
Comes round the age of gold 



THE ANGELS. 

Wlien Peace shall over all the earth 

Its ancient splendors lling. 
And the whole world give back the song 

Which now the angels sing. 

— Ilei: E. II. Sr,f,:-:. 



THE ANGELS. 

Run, shepherds, run where Bethlehem blest appears. 

We bring the best of news ; be not dismayed : 
A Saviour there is born more old than years, 

Amidst Heaven's rolling height this earth who stayed. 
In a poor cottage inned, a virgin maid 

A weakling did hiui bear, who all upbears ; 
There is he poorly swaddled, in manger laid. 

To whom too narrow swaddhngs are our spheres : 
Run, shepherds, run, and solemnize his birth. 

This is that night — no, day. grown great with Ijliss, 

In which the power of Satan broken is : 
In Heaven be glory, peace unto the earth ! 

Thus singing, through the air the angels swarm, 

And cope of stars re-echoed the same. 

— I)rinmnori<l. 




A SAVIUUK TIIEIIE IS UOKN.' 




AND LOWLY," 



A CHRISTMAS VISION. 

The scene around me disappears, 
And, borne to ancient regions, 

While time recalls the flight of years, 
I see angelic legions 

Descending in an orb of light : 

Amidst the dark and solemn night 
I hear celestial voices. 



A CIIUI.STMAS VISION. 

Tidings, glad tidings from above 

To every age and nation ! 
Tidings, glad tidings ! God is Love, 

To man He sends salvation ! 
His Son beloved. His only Son, 
The work of mercy hath begun ; 

Give to His Name the glory! 

Through David's city I am led ; 

Here all around are sleeping ; 
A light directs to yon poor shed ; 

There lonely watch is keeping : 
I enter ; ah ! what glories shine I 
Is this Immanuel's earthly shrine, 

Messiah's infant Temple ? 

It is, it is ; and I adore 

This Stranger meek and lowly, 
As saints and angels bow before 

The throne of God thrice Holy ! 
Faith through the veil of flesh can see 
The face of Thy Divinity, 

My Lord, my God, my Saviour ! 

— James Monti/otnery, 



THE CHRISTMAS CAROL. 

The minstrels played their Christmas tune 
To-night heneath my cottage eaves ; 

While, smitten by a lofty moon, 

The encircling laurels, thick with leaves, 

Gave back a rich and dazzling sheen. 

That overpowered their natural green. 

Through hill and valley every breeze 
Had sunk to rest with folded wings: 

Keen was the air, but could not freeze. 
Nor check, the nnisic of the strings ; 

So stout and hearty were the band 

That scraped the chords with strenuous hand ! 

And who l3ut listened ? — till Avas paid 

Respect to every inmate's claim : 
The greeting given, the music played. 

In honor of each household name. 
Duly pronounced with lusty call. 
And "Merry Christmas" wished to all I 

How touching, when, at midnight, sweep 

Snow-muffled winds and all is dark. 
To hear, and sink again to sleep 1 



THE CHRISTMAS CAROL. 

Or, ;vt an earlier call, to mark, 
By blazing fire, the still suspense 
Of self-complacent innocence ; 

The mutual nod, — the grave disguise 
Of hearts with gladness brimming o'er; 

And some unbidden tears that rise 

For names once heard, and heard no more; 

Tears brightened by the serenade 

For infant in the cradle laid. 

Hail, ancient Manners ! sure defence. 

Where they survive, of wholesome laws; 
Remnants of love Avhose modest sense 

Thus into narrow room witlidraws ; 
Hail, usages of pristine mould. 
And ye that guard them, Mountains old ! 

— William '[\'ordstvorth. 



W^T^i^- 




MARY'S SONG. 

Babe Jesus lay in Mary's lap ; 

The sun shone on his hair ; 
And this was how she saw, mayhap, 

The crown already there. 

For she sang : " Sleep on, my little king, 

Bad Herod dares not come ; 
Before thee sleeping, holy thing, 

The wild winds would be dumb. 

" I kiss thy hands, I kiss thy feet, 

My child, so long desired ; 
Thy hands shall never be soiled, my sweet ; 

Thy feet shall never be tired. 

" For thou art the king of men, my son ; 

Thy crown I see it plain ; 
And men shall worship thee, every one, 

And cry, Glory ! Amen ! " 

Babe Jesus opened his eyes so wide ! 

At Mary looked her Lord. 
And Mary stinted her song and sighed. 

Babe Jesus said never a word. 

— George MacDonald. 



THE WILD FOWL'S \ OICE. 

It chanced upon the nievry, merrv (Jliristmas eve, 

I went sighing past the church across the moorland dreary — 

0, never sin and want and woe tliis earth will leave. 

And the hells but mock the wailing sound, they sing so 
cheery. 

How long, Lord ! how long before Thou come again ? 

Still in cellar, and in garret, and on mountain dreary. 
The orphans moan, and widows weep, and jioor men toil in vain, 

Till earth is sick of hope deferred, though Christmas bells 
be ciieery. 

Then arose a joyous clamor from the wild-fowl on the mere, 

Beneath the stars, across the snow, like clear bells ringing, 

And a voice within cried — " Listen ! — Christmas carols even 

here 
Though thou be dnmb, yet o'er their work the stars and 

snows are singing. 

" Blind ! I live, I love, I reign ; and all the nations through, 
With the thunder of My . judgments even now are ringing ; 

Do thou fulfil thy work but as yon wild-fowl do. 

Thou wilt heed no less the wailing, yet hear through it 

angels singing." 

— Charles Kui</sh)j. 




' I LIVE, I LOVE, I KEIGUl 




THE AGES.' 



A CHRISTMAS CARMEN. 



Sound over all waters, reach out from all lands, 
The chorus of voices, the clasping of hands ; 
Sing hymns that were sung by the stars of the morn, 
Sing songs of the angels when Jesus was born ! 

With glad jubilations 

Bring hope to the nations ! 
The dark night is ending and dawn is begun ; 
Rise, hope of the ages, arise like the sun, 
All speech flow to music, all hearts beat as one ! 



A CH HI HTM AS CAEMEN. 

Sing the bridal of nations ! with chorals of love 
Sing out the war-vnlture and sint? in the dove, 




SINO JHh S((\o ol < Kh \ 1 ln\ ' 



Till the hearts of the peoples keep time in accord. 
And the voice of the world is the voice of the Lord ! 

Clasp hands of the nations 

In strong gratiilations : 



A CHRISTMAS CARMEN. 

The dark night is ending and dawn has begun ; 

Rise, hope of the ages, arise like the sun, 

All speech flow to music, all hearts beat as one ! 

Blow, bugles of battle, the marches of peace ; 
East, west, north and south let the long quarrel cease ; 
Sing the song of great joy that the angels began, 
Sing of glory to God and of good will to man ! 

Hark ! joining in chorus 

The heavens bend o'er us! 
The dark night is ending and dawn has begun ; 
Rise, hope of the ages, arise like the sun. 
All speech How to nuisic, all hearts beat as one ! 

— J. G. Wldttier. 






